Government cuts hospitality industry red tape

This news article was published under
the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Announcement follows suggestions from businesses and the public during the Red Tape Challenge

Plans have been revealed to scrap or simplify more than 60 regulations that currently apply to the hospitality, food and drink sector.

Ministers announced proposals to free the public and businesses from a series of “over-burdensome” or unnecessary rules that are holding the industry back.

The move follows the Government’s Red Tape Challenge for the sector, which resulted in nearly 600 comments about problem bureaucracy.

Proposals announced today include:

simplifying licensing application forms

scrapping regulations on the location and design of no smoking signs

tackling excess charges for inspection of private water supplies through increased transparency.

Tourism Minister John Penrose, who has led the work on this part of the Red Tape Challenge, said: “Rules and regulations grow like bindweed through industry and business, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the Hospitality, Food and Drink sectors.

“Wading through bumph, filling in pointless and repetitive forms is a spirit-sapping experience which too often chokes off enterprise and endeavour. The Red Tape Challenge has shone a spotlight on all this, and I am delighted with our progress.”

More than 100 pieces of regulation were considered as part of the hospitality theme, with 12 now set to be scrapped and a further 50 to be merged or simplified.